throw in the towel.

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

The popular 55-year-old mayor of Germany's second largest city, a state in its own right, is a state premier in all but title. He is the latest in a line of leading members of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Party (CDU) to throw in the towel.

throw in the towel = to submit, give over the struggle

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[Flittle]

Hi Vil,

Yes, they are o.k but we usually say, 'give up the struggle'.

'To concede defeat' is another possibility.

Frank

[Ouisch]

Hi Vil,

Yes, they are o.k but we usually say, 'give up the struggle'.

'To concede defeat' is another possibility.

Frank

Who is this "we" to which you refer? Please be careful in your responses and always indicate whether or not you're referring to a specific genre of English. In AmE, "throwing in the towel" is a very common idiom to describe a person or entity that has conceded defeat after a struggle.

[SoothingDave]

Not a teacher.

In the sport of boxing, the manager/trainer of a fighter can end a fight by forfeit. (Presumably when his fighter is too senseless to be aware of his condition.) He does this by literally throwing a towel into the ring.